Thank You
by AijinMegami
Summary: Before Naruto's return, Sakura finds in injured man in the forest. She takes him in without knowing his identity. They thought they would never meet again, boy were they wrong. ItachiSakura
1. Chapter 1

AijinMegami: NEEEWWWWWW STOOOOORRRRRYYYYYYY! YESSS, AFTER ALL THIS TIME! I have one more story to start after this one! I don't have a title but check it out in my bio and tell me what you think!

Thank You

Pairings: ItachiSakura

Summary: (Summary changed a bit) A few months after Naruto and Sasuke left, Sakura finds a wounded stranger (ITAACHHIIII) and heals him. They thought their paths would never cross again… boy were they wrong.

* * *

'_I miscalculated… I should have known that Jiraiya-san wouldn't be too far from the Kyuubi…_' the shadowed figure thought as he walked quietly through the forest. The organization had decided to lay low for the time being so his partner was no where to be seen. He had failed so he deserved this.

Blood seeped through his mesh shirt, his coat somewhere lost while he had his little _punishment_ with the leader, but he didn't falter in his steps. Pain wasn't unusual in his life but the loss of blood soon made him see double. Seeing a huge nearby tree he walked towards it, ripping his shirt off to tie the biggest wound. Leaning against the warm tree he fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

Haruno Sakura, age 12. It was only a few months has past since Naruto and Sasuke had left and so far the training with Tsunade was intense, to put it mildly. However, being the Hokage and all, training was always late in the afternoon or none at all. During the day she tried training with others but they had their usual routine so she left, feeling like she was intruding.

Kakashi wasn't helping at all. With his two star pupils gone he left on a lot of missions, leaving her behind. Others volunteered to train, for example Anko, but they only ended up either beating her badly or losing horribly. They just didn't have the patience to teach or the intellectual mind to deal with her smart mouth.

Today was one of those days. Everyone was doing their own things so she was all alone to do as she pleased. She couldn't take any missions by herself seeing as though she was only a Gennin, she managed to pass the exam last month with her two replacement teammates who were both boys her ages. They occasional trained with her but they were currently in a mission.

Sakura sighed as she shifted her pack. Two scrolls were stuffed in there. One was from Tsunade and the other was from Anko, apparently the woman had taken a liking in bugging Sakura. At least she helped train her.

"Sakura-san!" glancing behind her she saw Lee, Neji, and Tenten standing there. "What are you doing alone in such a glorious day?"

"Ehehe, just going to train." She said with a smile. "I see you're going off on another mission. Be careful."

"With Sakura-san cheering me on I shall finish this mission quickly by myself and if I can't I shall run 500 laps around Konoha!" Tenten groaned, pushing Lee aside as flames burned in his eyes. "Man, will you ever get over Sakura-chan? Well we have to go!" she started dragging Lee down the path.

"If you wish, Sakura-san, I shall train with you after I return from my mission." Neji proposed. During the months Neji noticed that with Sakura's chakra control she could easily deflect his _Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou_ (Sixty Four Hands of the Eight Divinations) by repelling the chakras within his fingertips that could close her chakra coils. Sakura wasn't an expert in deflecting it especially with her current speed and strength but Neji knew that with more training, she would be a challenging opponent.

"That'll be great!" finally, someone to train with. Smiling at him she continued her journey into the woods where she could peacefully study the scrolls. Just because she couldn't train her physical attributes doesn't mean she couldn't train her brain.

Looking around Sakura smiled at the site of her favorite tree. It was a humongous Sakura tree but it wasn't in bloom yet. As she stepped closer Sakura stopped at the scent of blood. Pulling out a kunai she walked over hesitantly. What she saw took her breath away.

A man lay there asleep. His hair framed his face as he seemed to lie there peacefully. Sakura frowned at the site of the hitai-ate on his head, it had a slash across it. That meant he was a missing-nin and from Konoha nonetheless, but she didn't recognize him.

She faltered on what to do. He looked sort of like Sasuke but that was impossible, his whole family was dead besides his brother. From what Sakura heard, Sasuke's brother could even bring Kakashi down to his knee so this couldn't be him! He was too strong to be injured... right?

"Whatever, I'm a medic-nin and it doesn't matter who the person is. A patient is a patient!" Sakura grumbled as she reached to hoist him up when suddenly even before she could touch him the person grabbed her by the wrist and threw her against the tree. She felt him, with inhuman speed, grab her wrist and held her own hand holding the kunai against her throat.

"Who are you?" he asked in a husky voice. Sakura could tell by his pale face that he was losing blood.

"Please... let me heal you." She whispered. Fear didn't etch her voice relieving Sakura that she didn't at least sound frighten. She bit back from gasping when he pushed the kunai closer, not hard enough to shed blood. "Haruno Sakura..."

"How do I know you won't just hand me over to Anbu or just let one of your little friends in Konoha kill me?" Sakura trembled at his piercing gaze. Even though he was injured she could feel his strength, it was overwhelming.

"I swear on my honor as a kunoichi of Konoha that I hand you over to Anbu or let anyone kill you." She whispered just as his grip loosened and he fell forward.

Sakura squeaked when he buried his face within her neck, unconscious. The kunai dropped to the floor but Sakura didn't bother grabbing it as she remained frozen with the shinobi on top of her. Smacking herself mentally Sakura pushed him and groaned "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Itachi felt his eyes open slowly. The pain on his side was dulled but where was he? He remembered the scent of cherry blossoms before he had fallen unconscious. He pushed upwards to sit up when suddenly the door opened.

"Oh no, you don't! You're not going to destroy all my hard work by getting up!" Itachi felt his head snap upward as soft gentle hands started to push him back onto the bed. Glaring at the female he felt himself stare unconsciously.

The girl had long pink hair with the most entrancing emerald eyes. Her lips were set in a firm line as she concentrated on pushing him down while her eyes flashed in annoyance. Getting irritated at her pushing he grabbed her wrists.

He noted how her eyes became wide as she stared at him in fright. Strange, one minute she was all domineering and now she was alarmed just because he touched her. "Stop." He saw how her eyes turned to anger once more.

"You're going to reopen your wound! While you're under my care you are not moving from this bed until I say so, understand!" Sakura snapped, not caring that she was yelling at _the_ Uchiha Itachi… not that she knew who he was. She heard of him but she never met him nor had she seen a picture.

Playing along he lied down on the pillows Sakura placed, he decided to amuse her for now until his wound was well enough so he could move without reopening it. Satisfied Sakura dragged a chair over and brought over the bowl full of broth. Itachi wasn't sitting up fully but up enough so he could digest properly.

"Say 'ahhh'." She ordered as she did with the children in the hospital. Itachi gave her a disgruntled look as she held the spoon in front of his mouth. "I can-." Before he could finish the sentence she shoved the spoon in his mouth.

Itachi felt his insides warm up at once, the delectable taste started to dance with his taste buds. He glared at her but was startled at Sakura's smile "Hush, I'm not going to poison you or hurt you, I promised you all those stuff already remember?" he frowned "Enlighten me."

"Fine, fine… I, Haruno Sakura, swear on my honor as a kunoichi of Konoha that I won't hand you over to Anbu or let any of my friends or myself hurt you." Sakura said with a hand up as if she was stating a vow in court.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Say 'aahhh'." She ordered. Seeing as though he wouldn't get an answer until he did so, he complied. Itachi felt ridiculous, letting a mediocre kunoichi like her treating him like a child! "I'm helping you because I'm a medic-nin. I don't care who you are, a patient is a patient."

"You don't even know who I am?" he asked as he took another spoonful of broth. Sakura smiled at him "Like I said, I don't care who you are. I'm a medic-nin and I heal anyone who needs help. I'll take care of the consequences later."

"Why would you do that? What if it was a person who will later kill you and your loved ones?" he hadn't even known her for an hour yet she already annoyed him. Was this Haruno Sakura that stupid?

"…have you ever felt pain that will never seem to go away? Pain, no matter how much medicine you take, won't disappear? I don't want anyone to feel such pain so as long as my hands can heal I'll heal them but… if they hurt the ones I care about; even if I had healed them previously I would kill them later. Even if I were to die, I would make sure that I take them with me." Sakura whispered.

Itachi didn't say anything as Sakura placed the spoon into the empty bowl. "You should get some rest; you've only slept for a few hours. I'll see you later." She whispered as she left the room leaving the Uchiha alone.

* * *

Sakura yawned as she cracked the cricks on her neck. With the missing-nin on her bed she had ended up sleeping on the couch. Speaking of him, Sakura threw the blanket off and peeked in the room and saw the man sleeping peacefully. Sakura stared at him quietly.

He looked so much like Sasuke but… not. He seemed to weary of the world, Sasuke just seemed to hate it. Sasuke felt so intimidating but this man just felt… so full of power. Sakura slowly reached out and paused before she gently brushed the locks that covered his face when she suddenly found herself under him.

Her hands were pinned and a weight was on her stomach. Staring into the cold onyx eyes, she stopped the urge to scream letting out a small instead. Trembling under him, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

Itachi didn't know whether to curse his shinobi instincts or thank them. Curse them for getting him into this position or thank them since now he could force the silly girl to listen. His wounds weren't healed but they were at least better than before. His so called 'sleep', actually meditation, gave him time to assess the situation.

He was in Konoha, that much he was certain of thanks to the hitai-ate symbol on her. That wasn't surprising, it hadn't been that long since the start of the Jinchuuriki's training journey so they wouldn't be too far from Konoha. Judging how he wasn't in a cell, the girl kept her word and had been silent about his existence within her home. It was rather odd, though, how she didn't know who he was.

"Are you afraid of me… kunoichi?" not so long ago, she was yelling and ordering him around. Now that the tables were turned, she turned into a docile little kitten.

Her voice seemed to have been caught in her throat. Unable to speak, she finally broke away. Clenching her eyes, she turned her face to the side. She wanted to snap at him, yell she wasn't frightened but that would be lying. His mere presence had intimidated her but the need to heal him was stronger. She wasn't the best medic-nin around but she was good enough to help heal his wound slowly.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly when she felt him slide off of her. Turning her head to face him, he saw her leaning against the wall with one leg propped up. He closed his eyes, the suffocating atmosphere had disappeared.

"Sh-Shinobi-san… please lay down. I don't want your wounds to reopen. I know you want to leave so stop moving around so much." She managed to muster enough courage to speak. He opened his eyes before realization settled in, blushing in embarrassment Sakura got off the bed. After he willingly lied down, she lifted the covers up around him. "Goodnight."

She was answered by silence.

* * *

CRACK!

Sakura glared at the small crack on the tree. It was easy using the correct amount of chakra at first but it was a great strain mentally. She had to remember the correct amount and not overdo the quantity of chakra into parts of her body. If she did, she was just wasting chakra.

"Aren't you straining yourself?" Tsunade's dry voice entered through the training field. Wiping the sweat from under her chin, Sakura turned and bowed at the Hokage. "Hey, hey, I said no formalities between us."

"Oh right, I keep forgetting." Sakura said with a small smile.

"So, how have you been?" she asked casually.

"Fine."

"You know Sakura… if you want, I can assign you another team un-."

"No thank you Tsunade-shishou." Her smile was gone.

"Listen to me Sakura; you've been under my tutelage for some time. You're progressed rapidly but it won't do you any good if you're cooped up in this village. You need to go out and train with someone or do a mission so you can get more experience." The rosette haired girl frowned but didn't argue. She knew Tsunade was right but in her mind, there wasn't another team for her beside Team Seven.

"I'll… I'll think about it." She mumbled.

"No thinking, I'm assigning you a mission with another team. It's a C-rank mission. The assignment is to get the scroll from the village Hinodi. A miko resides there and goes by the name Setsuna; she is in the temple that is called Hoshi. The scroll is important and your top priority is that it gets to Konoha safely."

"When is the mission?" Sakura asked quietly.

"The day after tomorrow, I suggest you get ready." She bowed her head.

"Hai." Tsunade nodded.

"Good, continue your training."

* * *

"Shinobi-saaannnn?" she called out, peeking from her behind the door. The black haired man was sitting up against the wall, looking bored. Pushing the door open, she crept in with a tray of food and placed it on the table next to the bed. His shirt was already off, his chest covered in the clean white bandages. Good, she thought, the wounds haven't reopened.

Sakura had decided to stick with the name Shinobi-san since he didn't seem to look as if he was going to give his name to her anytime soon. Itachi allowed the kunoichi to do her little prodding but observed her in return.

She was so weak; he could tell the moment his eyes landed on her petite form. However, her eyes said otherwise. She was no match for him that he knew was a fact, but her emerald orbs held some sort of raw potential. This girl, Sakura, was in a way a bud that hasn't bloomed yet. She was still growing.

"Good, you're healing quickly! If all things go well, you'll be gone before I go on my mission!" she chirped, sitting next to him. He took this as a signal that he could feed himself now. Taking the cup of tea, he turned to her.

"What rank are you in?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?" this was a surprise. He rarely spoke… in fact; it was like he wasn't even there! "I-I'm still a Gennin." She looked away, pink grazing her cheeks. Itachi simply closed his eyes and Sakura felt her blush fade away. Of course he didn't care; he was just a temporary guest, "Wha-What about you, Shinobi-san?"

This was her first question. She had decided to respect his space for the time being and hadn't asked him anything. Sakura stared at him attentively but looked away when he didn't answer, she wasn't surprised. She jerked her head up when her front door was knocked hard.

"Forehead girl, I know you're in there! How dare you forget the fact that we were going to meet at the café today? I know you're in there billboard-brow, don't you dare ignore me!" a familiar voice screeched outside. Sakura growled and opened the window, far from Itachi.

"I didn't forget, Ino-pig! We were supposed to meet at three; it's only two thirty if you hadn't noticed genius! Now be a good little porker and do your thing until three!" Sakura yelled before slamming the window shut.

"How dare you, you… you… YOU UGLY PINK HAIRED MIDGET!" Itachi couldn't help but notice how a vein throbbed on Sakura's ahem… 'normal' forehead. She whirled around and slammed the window with enough force to cause a crack.

"WHO YOU CALLING MIDGET!" she screamed.

"WHO ELSE? THERE'S ONLY ONE MIDGET IN KONOHA!" Sakura growled.

"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" jumping out the window, she left an amused missing-nin to sip his tea.

* * *

"Well… here we go." Sakura mumbled, looking up at the building. Entering the Hokage's office, she saw her substitute teammates. She knew they didn't deserve her scorn but her frown wouldn't fade, there was only one team in her mind and these people seemed to be intruders.

"Hello Sakura-san. My name is Chyko, it is a pleasure to meet you." A boy about two years older than her said with a pleasant smile. His brown hair was slicked back into a pony tail and his eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. It sent a sharp pain within Sakura, his eyes reminded her so much of Naruto.

"Hideaki." The other grunted. The boy had midnight purple hair with sharp brown eyes. He glared at Sakura as if she was a piece of filth in his way. Already annoyed thanks to Ino, Sakura wasn't about to take shit from anyone. Glaring back with full force, she was satisfied when he looked away.

"Good, you're here. Normally Gennins are to take missions with a Jounin to guide them but since we're so short-handed, I'm counting on you guys to be swift. Do you understand me?" Tsunade's voice was stern. "Hideaki is the only Chuunin from you three so you'll follow his lead."

"Hai." The two Gennins nodded.

"The mission is very simple, get the scroll from the priestess Setsuna from the temple Hoshi. The village Hinodi is south from Konoha and it will take you at least two to three days to get there. The scroll is important to the village." Tsunade left it at that. It was better if the three didn't know what was contained within it.

Sakura and the other two bowed at Tsunade. The three turned to leave. While heading towards the gate, Sakura glanced at the direction of her home. _'Shinobi-san must be gone by now since his wounds are healed. Even though we didn't talk much it was… nice… to have someone there'_ the house had felt so empty.

Her parents had left for a mission a few days before her mysterious injured shinobi had arrived. They wouldn't tell her where they were going or what it was, just informing her that they would return in three months. Giving a sad smile, she turned towards the open gates.

* * *

Itachi stared at the clothing in front of him. His mesh shirt was practically nonexistent so Sakura had gone out and bought some clothes for him. It wasn't bright so he wouldn't stand out but it had been a while since he wore anything from Konoha.

After putting on the shirt and slacks, he paused at the sound of knocking. Kisame stood on a tree branch, looking at him expectantly behind the glass window. Opening it, he allowed him entrance. "So this is where you were." Kisame wrinkled his nose at girly accessories lingering around. Either his companion swung _that_ way or he was in some girl's room, Kisame prayed for the lateral.

"Let's go." Itachi said, turning to the open window. He had no need to say thanks, he didn't ask for her help it was her own choice. Taking another whiff of the girl, Sakura's, scent he closed his eyes. They would never meet again anyways.

"We have a mission." Kisame grunted out. Itachi looked uninterested, jumping out of the room. Kisame followed behind him, a feral grin on his face. Another mission, he hoped there would be blood and good prey. Than again, from the information he had gained it might be boring.

"We are to retrieve the scroll from the Hinodi village. The scroll resides within the Hoshi temple and a miko named Setsuna is guarding it."

"Hn." Before they start the mission, they would stop by one of the Akatsuki's hideouts so Itachi could get restocked on weapons. Itachi's hand strayed to his healed wound. He could feel the little blossom's soft hands as they healed it. The clothes he wore even smelled of her. Once he got his usual outfit, he would burn these clothes.

* * *

AijinMegami: What do you think, what do you think, what do you think, WHAT DO YOU THINK! Yes, yes, i know it's stupid if Sakura doesn't recognize Itachi since he looks exactly like Sasuke **but **this is fan**fiction**not fan**-original-**fiction.

REVIEW PLEASE!


	2. Chapter 2

AijinMegami: Sorry, sorry, my computer is acting stupid! I had to delete everything and restart everything again. TT . TT

Um to answer one reviewer: I was thinking about making Sakura-chan a Chuunin but I decided to base this story on what happened while Sakura had been alone in Konoha. Which means Naruto and Sasuke won't appear unless it's a flashback or something.

Dedicated: To Blackbelt-chan. I'm so sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you and everything, my computer just went… - . -U stupid basically.

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"We should rest here for tonight." Chyko said observing their surroundings. Night was falling upon them soon and the darkness would soon take over their site. Sakura landed beside him. Hideaki glared at him.

"I'm the captain here and I say we keep going. It isn't completely dark so we can keep going." Sakura ignored the too who began to bicker. The way those two were behaving brought too many memories.

""He's right Hideaki-san; if we were to move on we would use too much energy that if we were to get attacked in the darkness we would not survive." Without waiting for a response Sakura dropped her bag.

"Where are you going Sakura-san?" a hint of concern was heard within Chyko's voice. Sakura could feel Hideaki's gaze burn into her back. He seemed to already dislike her for defying him.

"I'm going to look for some water." She answered honestly, her water pack in hand. It was partially the truth but her other reason was to get away from the two. They weren't exact copies but there were times when those two arguing would remind her of Naruto and Sasuke. All they needed was a perverted Jounin sensei and here was Team Seven reborn.

A weary smile was on her lips. No one could actually replace Team Seven, it was impossible. Naruto was the only one with the sunny smile and personality that drew people towards him and healed their pains. Kakashi was her only sensei –besides Tsunade-shishou- and the only person who can irritate to the extent she wanted poke his eyes out with a kunai her by reading that stupid porn book in front of her face. Yes there was Jiraiya but he came really, really, **really**, close to second.

Sasuke… the topic she tended to avoid. Sasuke was the only one who had her love, yes she loved others but he was the only one who held her love in that way and she didn't want to give that love up. He was the only one who made her heart soar and the only one who could shatter into pieces the way he can. Sasuke… he was the only one who could betray them like that and still have their love.

Sakura stopped in front of the river and lowered her canteen; water trickled into her bottle slowly. Like the river, time will continue no matter what happens and she accepted the fact already. Closing her full bottle, she closed it and sat against a nearby tree. Those idiots probably made camp by now and were most likely arguing about something stupid again.

* * *

By the time they had left the safe house it was a few hours before dusk. Itachi and Kisame walked through the forest in silence. They never talked, only when it was necessary and that was mostly never. The silence, Itachi appreciated. He was never one to appreciate the loudness that Hidan and Kakuzu produced. There were occasional times when Kisame would start to blab but the Uchiha was so used to the shark-like man's presence it didn't bother him much.

They had stopped to camp. Kisame was out hunting for food and he was left alone to tend to the fire. Having nothing better to do, his thoughts trailed back towards the kunoichi; her reaction as to when she found out of his true identity and her fear that would definitely roll off her skin at the mere thought of being discovered that she had helped **Uchiha Itachi, the S-classed (nukenin) missing-nin.**

He killed his family in cold blood and left his brother behind to be swallowed in hatred. Speaking of his brother, he had heard that the fool was now in the hands of the disgusting Sennin. The imprudent decisions Sasuke made at times disappointed him; he had expected a lot out of him but had just left a fool to live.

The kunoichi… she had a picture of his brother in her room. Judging by the site of the Jinchuuriki and Hatake Kakashi, they must have been teammates. He could only deduce what had been between them and the results were that she was treated poorly by his brother.

Her room had been filled with items not becoming of a kunoichi, it was too… normal. A person wishing to follow the nindo must discard all useless items, including emotions. The kunoichi, Sakura, had a room that showed all of her emotions. Pictures of friends, dolls showing she had a soft spot for adorable objects, and difficult books showing her intellect.

During her time out, he had explored the house out of sheer boredom. Itachi knew he could have left any time he pleased but couldn't risk getting caught by Konoha Anbu due to his injuries. As the saying said, it was better to be safe than sorry. During his prowling within her home, he had found a room filled with gear.

He presumed that this was the place she kept her shinobi equipment. Neatly arranged, the weapons were all well taken care of. There had been a jutsu around a certain cabinet; dispelling it he had found an assortment of medical jutsus. This lead to the conclusion that she wanted to be a medic-nin but that was already obvious.

The problem with this girl being unfit to be a kunoichi, he assumed, was because she revealed everything about her to an enemy if they were to observe her. If they knew everything about her, she was to die instantly.

His eyes sharpened at the sound of a soft gentle sigh a few meters from his position. A familiar soothing charka wave tickled his senses; it was warm and seemed to run in a gentle rhythm. Deciding to ensure that it wasn't an enemy, he silently treaded towards the source of the charka.

His suspicions were correct, there stood Haruno Sakura, the girl who had healed him and had taken care of him those few days. His ears caught the sound of arguing not far which meant she wasn't alone. It was dangerous to be too enraptured in memories, Itachi mused. She still hadn't sensed his presence.

* * *

Sakura stared at the glassy river. She should probably head back towards camp before one of them got worried. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Hideaki getting worried but could imagine Chyko occasionally wonder where she was.

"Sakura-san." too late, slowly turning around she saw Chyko gazing down at her. Now that she got a good look of it, his shade of blue was nothing compared to Naruto. Naruto's eyes shimmered like there was light behind the blue; Chyko's eyes just seemed to be there.

"Yes Chyko-san?" she asked standing up.

"I was getting worried, you took so long."

"I'm fine, I just lost track of time." Giving him an apologetic smile, she stood up dusting dirt from her pants.

"Okay then, we should head back now before Hideaki decides to head towards Hinodi by himself. He'll probably frighten Setsuna-san and she'll think he's an enemy and take the scroll with her somewhere far away." He joked.

"Yes, his glare will make any priestess weary of him." Ignoring his offered hand, she walked past him into the forest. It was one thing to be polite; she wasn't on this mission to make any friends. Finish the mission, return home, and train until her _real_ team was joined together once more.

* * *

"Where were you?" Kisame grunted, fish grilling by the fire on a stick. Itachi sat beside him in his previous seat.

"There are Konoha shinobis who have the same intentions as ours nearby." He answered smoothly, watching the brightly burning embers once more. The fire would never go out until he allowed it to.

"Shall we get rid of the pests?"

Itachi didn't answer and Kisame took that as an undecided answer. Itachi was smarter than Kisame that much he even knew. Kisame wasn't stupid but no one can match the intellect of Uchiha Itachi. If they were going to complete the mission, Itachi was the person to turn towards if you want to make sure it was one hundred percent foolproof.

He wasn't indebt to the kunoichi. He hadn't asked for her help. Itachi closed his eyes before opening them, revealing the fierce whirling sharingan.

"I will seize the scroll after they receive the scroll from Setsuna-san."

* * *

"So this is Hinodi village, not bad." Chyko commented, his eyes wandering the busy streets. The village was well known for having the best site for sunrises and sunsets. Hinodi village didn't have much shinobis but it had many priests and priestesses who studied martial arts.

"Be on your guard." Hideaki grunted, walking ahead of him. The air, filled with his superiority, was probably because he was the only Chuunin between the three. It was a time for him to finally flaunt off his accomplishments.

Sakura shrugged and followed. The streets were busy, filled with street venders or children running around. This place must be pretty peaceful or they were just confident in their defense. While preferring the former, she knew it was most likely the lateral.

"Hokage-sama said that the Hoshi Temple is in the center of the village, let's go." Chyko grumbled about Hideaki having a stick up his ass and the Chuunin gritted his teeth to stop himself from hitting the Gennin. He was a Chuunin, he needed control.

SMACK!

Sakura ignored the two, oh what great control Hideaki-sama. Walking past the arguing duo, she studied her surroundings more. Everything looked normal but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread something was going to go wrong.

"We're wasting time." Grabbing the two by the collar, she began to drag them. The sooner they get out of here, the better. All those time when the official Uchiha Sasuke fan club had been stalking her to kill her was paying off.

When she had ended up in the same squad as Uchiha Sasuke, her life was no longer the same. Yes, those boys had changed her but the negative part of the deal was that she had to deal with Sasuke's fan club. They had deemed her unworthy of the great Uchiha and tried to attack her any chance they had. The first day she had been assigned to his squad, the females in the village had been crying for blood,** her** blood.

"What's wrong Sakura-san?" Chyko asked, the two were out of her grasp and were walking fast, trying to match her pace.

"I got tired of you two arguing." She said trying to sound cool, fidgeting a little bit. If there was someone following her, she shouldn't reveal it. Okay, so she wasn't that great at hiding her emotions but that didn't mean she couldn't try.

"Fine," Hideaki said, catching on, "let's go already."

The temple they came upon had stoned gates and men surrounding every crook and nanny of the place. The guards held weapons but the only visible weapon was a spear. They stiffened even more when the three of them walked towards them.

"Team Hideaki from Konoha, we were sent to retrieve the scroll from the priestess Setsuna-san." Hideaki spoke, his hitai-ate gleaming as he produced the paper holding their information. The guards examined it slowly before lowering their spears, allowing them entrance.

The temple was quiet but the back of Sakura's hair still bristled. She could still feel eyes following their every move. Hideaki's face was neutral, the complete opposite of Chyko's face which was completely calm. He hadn't noticed anything out of the unusual.

* * *

"Pinky sensed us."

Itachi grunted an answer. He was mildly surprised at her keen sixth sense but was over it in a millisecond. He had thought she couldn't easily feel other's charka but perhaps he was wrong. Her senses were keen, it was just that her mind tended to wander at times and when it did, she would travel too deep into her subconscious to realize her screaming senses.

The plan was to obtain the scroll once it was in the hands of the three. It would be easier to take it from them than fighting all of the Hoshi warriors. The priests tended to be a pain.

Kisame was disgruntled by the lack of gore but said nothing, his charka spoke for him. It gave an aura of bloodlust, carefully tucked away within his normal charka waves. If Itachi sensed it, he wouldn't be pleased. Bloodlust was easy to sense and would give them away immediately.

"Failure is not an option." He said warningly, his blood red eyes following the three shinobis. He would kill his liberator if needed. A shinobi was a tool, they did not feel but moved swiftly like the sharpened weapons that they held.

* * *

Setsuna was a black haired woman with eyes the color of storm clouds. Her stare was powerful and Sakura could feel her charka. It was wild and untamed; she didn't seem to have much control over it. It was dangerous to have a lot of charka if you couldn't control it.

"Whoa, what is with that-?" Hideaki smacked Chyko before he could speak.

"Excuse me Setsuna-sama, we are the ones sent by Tsunade-sama. Although we may not look it, we are perfectly capable of protecting your scroll." He said with a bow. Sakura and Chyko bowed behind him. Setsuna smiled.

"Thank you, I trust Tsunade-sama's judgment and if she has deemed you three worthy, so do I." she reached into her kimono and produced a small scroll. It was the source of the charka; Setsuna's real charka was soft and weak.

Hideaki grasped the scroll and handed it to Sakura. Sometimes, the leader of the group keeps the scroll but that would make it too obvious for their enemies. It was better to play with their minds.

Leaving the grounds, they immediately started their journey home. Sakura couldn't shake off the eyes, Chyko grumbled in complaint, and Hideaki kept smacking him on the head.

* * *

"You know that girl?" Kisame questioned, finding Itachi pulling out his previous garments. He hadn't burned them yet luckily. The kunoichi's scent immediately filled his sensitive nose.

"She is the one who healed me." Itachi answered quietly. He didn't wish to do this but to obtain the scroll with no violence, this was the only way. It was strange when they say that Itachi avoided violence when he could but he did. Blood and gore didn't interest him but he did it to survive and to get what he wanted. What he wanted right now was the scroll.

* * *

"We're going to search the perimeter, will you be alright alone?" Hideaki inquired. Sakura nodded, waving them away. Chyko and Hideaki were going separately – thank kami-sama – so she was alone.

The feel of the person's eyes were gone from her but she couldn't shake the goose bumps appearing on her arms. Rubbing them to sooth away the bumps, she only managed to work herself up. Sighing in frustration, she stood up and turned around.

"Oh shit!" she cursed, jumping backwards startled. There standing in front of her was shinobi-san. What was he doing here? "You startled me!"

"As a kunoichi, you must be weary of your surroundings." He said quietly. Already expecting that out of him, she pouted and looked away. She didn't need to hear this from him of all people!

'_So says the person who wound up hurt in the forest!'_ she thought angrily but kept her tongue in check. She didn't want to make him angry. Despite his non-hostile acts, there was an aura around him that cried cold calculating death. "What are you doing here?"

"To thank you." It felt strange coming out of his mouths, leaving a bitter taste behind. She seemed startled as well.

"…to thank me?" she asked incredulously. Itachi even found the situation hard to believe; she would have probably understood his personality by now to see that he was not a person who just thanked someone out of nowhere. Giving him a suspicious glare, she simply nodded.

"Alright then, you thanked me… now if you don't mind, leave me alone." Long ago when Team Seven wasn't a dream, she would have screamed or perhaps faint at the mere thought of a hot gorgeous man wanting to thank her. After Sasuke broke her naïve innocent world she just tended to be weary of good-looking specimen of the opposite sex.

As he played along with this, not even Itachi understood why he was doing this. It was so easy to snap her neck and take the scroll but he couldn't, this girl could be of use to him in the future. Not only did she have connects with his brother, she had a powerful bond with his target, the Kyuubi. He could probably create a list of pros and cons that would appear with her death. Not one to take stupid risks, he decided to keep her alive and see what happens.

From what he had seen, she was a gem in the rough. If her sharp edges were taken care of, she could shine better than anyone in Konoha. He hadn't had a challenge in a while after all but that wasn't the point of this mission, he needed the scroll.

"I apologize…"_'for doing this after your aid'_ Sakura felt her mind shut down for some reason, shinobi-san hadn't even moved! Darkness seemed to cover her eyes and her limbs felt heavy, falling forward onto him. Genjutsu, the thought lingered in her mind before she was enveloped in her dream world.

Itachi caught her and reached for her pouch, pulling out the scroll. He placed her against the tree to make it seem as if she was asleep. The genjutsu wasn't his usual mental attack but a light dream; he supposed she deserved that much.

"Consider this my thanks for healing my wounds… you won't die today." He whispered into her ear before disappearing in a blur. Her companions would be arriving soon. He had overstayed his welcome.

* * *

AijinMegami: Please review and… TT . TT DON'T KILL ME! You have no idea how hard it is to keep Itachi in character. 


	3. Chapter 3

AijinMegami: Wow… it's been a while. TT . TT DON'T HURT ME! I'm sorry, I'll try and update more (LIAR) but I have a good reason! I got really into writing an original story and guess what, if I write four more chapters, I'm done! n . n … - . - … TT . TT okay, that's no excuse… all I can say is im sorry and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

I don't own Naruto and SASUKE BETTER GROVEL AT SAKURA-CHAN'S FEET FOR FORGIVENESS IN THE FUTURE OR ELSE! And I also need to wash my mind clean of that picture of Sasuke and Sai together (shudders) I can't believe Kishimoto-sensei actually drew that. - . –U

* * *

"What do you mean you lost the scroll?" Hideaki asked in a deadly calm voice. Sakura didn't answer; too busy staring at the small camp. Chyko remained silent as Hideaki interrogated her angrily. "Are you listening to me?!"

'_I can't remember what happened but I lost the scroll… I know for a fact that I didn't fall asleep so that means someone placed me in a genjutsu but who could be so powerful that they can block my memory?'_ Sakura thought.

"You fucking bi-!" Chyko grabbed Hideaki's fist before it came in contact with Sakura who blinked as if suddenly seeing the two of them. Realizing the situation immediately she bowed her head at Hideaki.

"I apologize Hideaki-san. I have no idea what happened, one minute I was standing and the next minute I'm asleep but if it helps… ano… I felt someone watching us when we were Setsuna-san." This seemed to piss him off even more.

"You didn't even bother to inform us of this?" she frowned.

"Well Chuunin-sama," she said mockingly as her own irritation began to seep out, "I thought someone as great as you would have been able to sense things a mere Gennin such as I wouldn't be able to feel." His bad attitude was getting to her last nerve.

"We shouldn't be arguing. Let's go back to Konoha; we need to inform Hokage-sama." Chyko said cautiously. He couldn't help but fear the intimidating chakra surrounding Sakura. It felt so different compared to her usual soft controlled charka.

Sakura gritted her teeth; she could feel her inner-self pushing itself out. No, she should be able to stop her! Besides, if Inner-Sakura was out… who knows what hell she would cause? "Let's just go."

* * *

"What does the stupid scroll do?" Kisame asked annoyed. He wasn't able to kill anyone and the lack of gore was getting under his skin. Itachi didn't answer him, staring at the scroll he had taken from the kunoichi.

"Nothing…" he murmured.

"What?" the shark-man asked irritated even more.

"A trap… this scroll was just filled with chakra." He didn't answer anymore. Kisame grew even more annoyed at not knowing the answer.

Itachi examined the glowing chakra that was slowly fading away. Yes, it had been a trap but who had set it? Was it the warriors in the Hoshi temple, Setsuna-san, or the Hokage of Konoha? The chakra signature was almost completely gone but Itachi had memorized it.

The soothing flow reminded him of the kunoichi that had rescued him. The kunoichi's chakra was lazily skimming the top of his own chakra but it was almost gone. The only reason why, he understood, he could feel her chakra on the scroll was because she had held onto it before he had taken it from her.

A plan was beginning to form within his mind. The girl, her name was Haruno Sakura. From what he had heard, the pink haired kunoichi was an apprentice to the Hokage, Tsunade-sama. He frowned… perhaps he could? No, that plan was utterly useless. Besides, it would be best if he didn't show his face around her for a while. She might remember what had occurred.

Itachi turned to leave, the blue skinned shinobi following.

* * *

"You lost the scroll…" it wasn't a question and all three of them knew. Hideaki was glaring venomously at Sakura. Chyko could only sigh but noticed that Sakura's chakra was at least back to normal. "Who had it?"

"Haruno Sakura." He answered immediately.

"…very well, all of you are dismissed. Sakura, stay here." Hideaki sneered and walked away. Chyko gave Sakura a comforting smile before leaving. Sakura nodded and turned to her shishou. The two stared at each other until they heard the click of the door closing. "Have a seat Sakura."

She did so.

"Do you remember who took the scroll from you?" knitting her fingers with her chin on top of it, she regarded Sakura carefully. Biting her lip, Sakura looked down.

"I don't remember who took it. I was placed under a genjutsu apparently because I'm sure I didn't fall asleep on my own. One minute I was standing and another I was asleep." She answered truthfully.

"I see…" Tsunade leaned against her chair comfortably. Sakura couldn't read what her shishou was thinking; the golden haired lady's face was unreadable. "Do you know what was contained within that scroll Sakura?"

"No," she answered stiffly.

"Nothing," Sakura gasped. "Yes there was nothing but chakra in there. It was, you could see, a test."

"What kind of test?"

"I'm telling you this because I know sooner or later it would involve you." Tsunade had Sakura's complete attention. "I'm sure you know of Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi."

"Yes, he was the one who killed… Sasuke-kun's family." She felt sick whispering Sasuke's name again. Taking a deep breath, she stopped the tears that were stinging her eyes, threatening to form.

"He is part of an organization called Akatsuki. Orochimaru had been a part of their group previously in the past but had betrayed them in the end. There have been rumors regarding Akatsuki, stating they are gathering powerful techniques and are after the Jinchuurikis."

"Jinchuurikis?"

"They are demons, sealed within a human being. I'm sure you remember Gaara hosting the demon Shukaku." Sakura's eyes widened. "Akatsuki is after powerful techniques like Orochimaru. We need to understand what type of powerful scrolls Akatsuki is after so we have made many fake scrolls simply filled with chakra and created all sort of tales of their powers. The particular scroll you had taken was concerning seals."

"What sort of seals?" Sakura felt her stomach curl, remembering the cursed seal that was on Sasuke's neck.

"Unfortunately from the reports I had read," she scowled at the stack of piles that seemed bigger than before and continued, "they are after many scrolls that seem to have no connection what so ever with each other.

"What should we do?" Sakura asked. They stared at each other, square in the eyes before Tsunade sighed.

"Nothing, there is nothing we can do for now. However, I do have a mission for you." Sakura sat up straight before nodding stiffly at Tsunade. "A medic-nin that lies in a village that's a days run from Konoha was injured by a nuke-nin who wanted him to heal them with his medical abilities. Of course he refused to do such a thing. He managed to get away but in harsh conditions. Since the village is so small there resides only a single medic. His apprentice is trying her best to heal him but they have requested assistance from us."

"What is this medic's name?" Tsunade handed her a small manila folder.

"All the information for this mission is in this folder. It is a C-classed mission and you shouldn't have any trouble with it." Sakura took the folder, deciding to browse through it at home. "You will depart tomorrow morning."

"Will I be going with a team?" Sakura asked cautiously. Tsunade could read frustration in Sakura's eyes and could only sigh.

"Yes," Sakura narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. "You will be going with Team Kurenai, understood?"

"Tsunade-shi-!"

"Understood?" she asked more firmly.

"…yes."

* * *

"Itachi, have you completed the mission?" shrouded in mists, dark figures could be seen standing on top of what appeared to be fingers of a humongous statue. The one who spoke had sharp eyes, watching each and every one of the people within the area.

It was almost as if his previous punishment to Itachi had never occurred. "Yes," he answered, saying no more.

"So?" another voice asked, despite the mist you could still see his clear blue eyes. It seemed to have mirth for reasons only that person knew. "Where's the scroll, yeah? I heard that this scroll has the ability to seal demons away."

"That scroll was nothing, just filled with chakra." Kisame growled a reply. "I think we've been tricked by someone."

"The question is," a cool voice interrupted them, "who was the one that set up the trap?"

No one spoke a word as the gears in their minds began to start. Itachi's instincts gave him an idea of who had set up this little trap. It was Konoha, it had to be. Especially since the temple was within the Land of Fire. They probably wanted to keep a close eye on who tried to steal the scroll and to make sure it resided with trustworthy people, they sent it to someone near their district.

"So what will we do now?"

"…find out who had set up the trap and make it so that the hunter is now the hunted."

* * *

Sakura glared at the tree in front of her. There was a small crack on it but the crack was so small, you would have believed that it was just part of the rough lines of the bark. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

Relax; it's only been a few months since she was taken under the wing of the Hokage. She shouldn't get frustrated just because she couldn't do the task that was given to her. Besides, Tsunade-shishou had said even herself that building up the exact amount of chakra wasn't easy.

"Hey, forehead girl!" she turned around. Standing a few meters away were Ino and Hinata. The shy girl seemed reluctant to be here but ever since the Chuunin Exam, Ino became very interested in the Hyuuga heiress. It was probably because now she had another partner in crime, since Sakura was now busy with training, and a very valuable one at that thanks to Hinata's Byakugan.

"Pig," she acknowledged, "Hinata-chan."

"H-Hello Sa-Sakura-chan."

"Whatcha been up to forehead girl? I heard that you've just returned from a mission with those two guys. What were their names? Chyko and Hideaki?" a sly grin came to her face. "So, did any of them make a move?"

"By make a move you mean try to kill me then yes, Hideaki made a move on me." The three of them settled down on the clearing under the shade of the tree.

"Ooh, what did you do?"

"None of your business and what are you doing with Hinata-chan? You're not thinking about making her your lookout as you try and skip out of guard duty again, are you?" she asked. Ino giggled while Hinata blushed.

"N-No, it's not li-like that Sakura-chan!" Hinata yelled, waving her hands in denial. "I-Ino-san just asked me i-if I wanted to have t-tea with her… and I asked if y-you could join us."

"Hm?" she tilted her head. "Tea sounds nice but shouldn't you be getting ready for the mission tomorrow?"

"Y-Yes but Kurenai-sensei said I should t-try and re-relax a little." Her voice became small as her habit of playing with her fingers appeared. She seemed embarrassed that Kurenai had actually suggested such a thing to her.

Ino fell backwards, cupping the back of her head with her hands. "I guess that's true. All work and no play isn't a great way to live…" her face changed into a scowl, "of course, all play and no work isn't that great either. That Shika-baka, no matter what I do, I can't seem to get his lazy out! He's always in front of the shoji board and do you know what's even weirder? Every time I come to drag his butt out, the board hasn't changed at all! All the tiles are in the same place!"

Sakura remained silent. She knew the real reason why Shikamaru was paying so much attention to the shoji board and why it hasn't moved at all. He was replaying in his mind what had occurred during the retrieval mission of Uchiha Sasuke. Though he never said it to her, Sakura had a feeling he blamed the failure of the mission on himself.

"B-But Shikamaru-san's so smart, I-I'm sure he's not a-always playing around." Hinata protested weakly. Ino sat up quickly and stared at Hinata who became nervous under her stare. She squeaked when Ino enveloped her into her arms.

"That's what so sweet about you Hinata-chan, you always think only about the good in people. And stop calling me Ino-san, Ino-chan or just Ino will do nicely." She sighed, still holding Hinata tightly. Sakura watched, having a feeling that Hinata was going to faint soon if Ino didn't let go. "You're so great but that baka can't seem to see what's in front of him."

"Ino," Sakura said waving her hand to get Ino's attention, "if you don't let go of Hinata soon, she's going to faint."

"Oh, right! Sorry," she said letting go of Hinata who began to take deep intakes of air after being deprived of it for so long. Ino let out a sheepish smile at Hinata who gave a weak smile in return. "Well now, how about that tea?"

* * *

"We will check each of the hidden villages to see which of them have devised this plan." The leader began clearly so that everyone could hear. All of the shinobis within the dark room gave their complete attention to him, all bearing different sorts of emotions. "You will all each check a designated village and seek the answer. Do not let yourselves be caught or found out."

Without another word, the meeting was done.

Itachi and Kisame opened their eyes slowly so that their eyes could adjust to the dim light of the room they were residing in. They were currently in one of the inns near the Hidden Village of Sand. They had probably not left the room for anything for about over five hours.

Kisame got up, stretching his cramped muscles as he stood up from the floor. "Itachi-san, I think Sasori and Deidara are somewhere near here. You think we'll meet up with them?"

"There is no need for us to see them." Itachi simply answered. Of course, he thought, they would probably come see them anyway. Why, he didn't know. It was better if they just traveled in the pairs they were assigned. Traveling in small groups was better, after all.

The tall swordsman shinobi stretched a bit more before grabbing his Samehada. As long as they were here, he might as well take a drink or two from the pub. He grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. One or two, yeah right. He'd empty the bar by the end of the night.

Itachi was left in solitude within the room. Sitting on the bed, the moonlight from the open window enveloped him. So he had to return back to Konoha to find evidence if it was really Konoha that had devised this plot.

There were small points that showed that it was Konoha, besides the fact that the scroll was stationed near Konoha. It was because the ones who had sent to retrieve it were Konoha shinobis. But there was also the possibility that if it wasn't Konoha, the one who had created this plot could have simply send Konoha to retrieve the scroll for them. Either way, Itachi found himself going back to his home land.

And…

Back to the pink haired kunoichi.

* * *

Kisame had expected a night filled with his blissful sake and of course, the waitresses that tended the bar. He didn't expect to see Deidara and Sasori already seated next to the bar table. Deidara was indulging himself with sake while Sasori seemed to be doing who knows what. Kisame never knew what went through the minds of the puppet master and he had no qualms of not knowing.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Fish-chan, I thought it was your chakra somewhere near here, yeah." Deidara said with a grin, his cheeks slightly pink from the alcohol. "Why don't you bring up a chair and join us… I mean me. Sorry about that Sasori-dana, yeah." He said with a sheepish grin which Sasori promptly ignored. "So where's Itachi?"

"In the room, probably thinking about what to do about the mission." He grunted, sitting himself on the next stool. "What about you, blondie, I thought you and Red were still a ways from the Sand Village."

"I suggest you stop calling me Red if I were you." Sasori finally spoke, his eyes moving to glare at Kisame.

"Aw c'mon Sasori-dana, I'm sure Fish-chan didn't mean, yeah?" he said looking at Kisame expectantly. He ignored both of them, grabbing Deidara's sake bottle and filling his own cup to the brim with it. He downed it with one gulp.

"One thing I miss about the mist is their sake," he said belching. "No one could make sake as potent as theirs." Kisame ignored the dirty looks that he received from the bartender. Of course, he scurried away from the three when he saw the glare given by Kisame, complimented by the grin.

If there was one thing that was a positive about his face was that people left him alone. It made it easier for him to do as he wished.

"By the way, something seemed a bit off about Itachi during the meeting, yeah." Deidara commented as Kisame filled both their cups. "Did something happen to him after leader punished him?" this seemed to catch Sasori's attention as well, his eyes watching Kisame once more.

Hm, this was a tough choice. Itachi didn't like it when information about him was disclosed to others without his permission. Of course, Itachi couldn't really kill him since that wasn't allowed within their organization. But then, that didn't mean Itachi couldn't hurt him so bad that he would ache for months. Kisame doubted that Itachi would do something as meaningless as that. If Kisame were to get hurt, it would only affect their mission and annoy Itachi.

He grinned at Deidara.

"Well I happened to find Itachi-san in a room that definitely belongs to a woman." There was a flicker of amusement rolling in Deidara's eyes now. "If we snoop around Itachi-san's business, he'd kill us but then again what's life without a little danger?"

* * *

Sakura leaned against the gates, already ready for departure. She frowned, glaring at her hands. So far, the only things she could do were basic medical jutsus. According to others, she was advancing faster than normal medic-nin's due to her extraordinary chakra control but in her eyes it didn't seem enough. Every time she heard someone say she was doing well, all she could think about was Naruto and Sasuke.

No matter what they did, they seemed three steps ahead of her. Sure, she had chakra control but it was nothing compared to the talent the two possessed. She clenched her fists tightly, creating crescent marks on her palms. Sakura was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of footsteps.

"Ah, Sakura, long time no see." A feminine voice said gently. Looking up, she found herself staring into pools of red. A stab of remembrance came. Even if she didn't want to think of it, red always seemed to remind her of Sasuke…

She managed to smile at her and the three behind her. "Hello Kurenai-san, Kiba, Shino, Hinata-chan."

The mission was fairly simple. The injured medic-nin's name was Toru and his apprentice's name was Mari. Toru's abilities came to a Jounin level medical shinobi, something Sakura felt she was no where near at. It was strange though; someone with such skill has a higher change of healing themselves then most.

The injury must be very grave indeed.

"Alright then, let's head off." Kiba said energetically, throwing his hands up in the air. Sakura sweat dropped, sometimes Kiba was too much like Naruto at times. "Watch me beat the crap out of all those bastards!"

"…a bee intent on protecting will only die once it loses its sting." Was the calm collected answer from Shino. An awkward silence surrounded them. Kurenai appeared exasperated by Kiba's infuriated glare. Hinata looked lost between them, not knowing whether to stop them or stand back and watch.

Kiba grabbed Shino's collar. "Damn it, what is with you and all that shit that doesn't even make sense?!"

SMACK!

"Ow! What was that for?" he yelled, holding his head. Sakura twitched. _'Yup, he's too much like Naruto sometimes'_

"What Shino is trying to tell is that if you just head on with no plan, you'll end up getting killed. BAKA!" Kiba took a step back when he saw Sakura's eyes glow red for a second. Suddenly, she smiled, grabbing Hinata's arm. "Let's go Hinata-chan."

Kiba sighed in relief when Sakura was a few feet away from him. "Man, I will never understand girls."

"A wise hunter knows when to step in and knows when his prey is too great for him to hunt." Were the only words from Shino.

"…DAMN IT, WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?"

* * *

A few bandits and random animals were the only things that had gone between them and the pathway that lead to the village. Sakura had to admit, she missed being in a team. The way you always have someone to count on and know that they'll be there for you when you need it.

She smiled at Hinata, hiding the frown that wanted to surface. No, she would wait until Naruto and Sasuke got back. There was no way she was going to replace them with anyone. Nonpermanent teammates were fine but a long lasting team would be a taboo for her until the two got back… and Kakashi started to talk to her again.

It as if Kakashi only had two students! He didn't even talk to her at all… okay, there were the occasional hellos and how are you but it wasn't the same. She felt a little abandoned at the thought of Kakashi only spending time with her because the other two were around. She pushed down the need to mope. She wasn't going to be like that anymore.

"Are you al-alright Sakura-ch-chan?" Hinata asked gently, her face blushing in embarrassment when Sakura's emerald eyes turned to face her. "I-It's just," she began quickly seeing Sakura focused completely on her. "You seem dis-distracted and I was wo-worried."

Sakura shook her head, reinforcing her smile so that it appeared more genuine. It was something she had learned to master since she was younger and she had to say, she was quite good at it. If she remembered correctly, it even fooled Tsunade! "I'm fine; I just have a lot in my mind."

"You're not worried that you won't be able to heal Toru-san, are you?" Kurenai asked, joining the conversation. "I'm sure Hokage-sama wouldn't have chosen you for the mission if she thought you couldn't complete it."

"No, it's not that. I'm just-."

"Hey I think I see the village!" Kiba shouted. They all turned towards where he was pointing and sure enough, there was a small village. There was no walls protecting it but seemed peaceful enough that a gate seemed unneeded. Than again, looks can be deceiving. After all, they still had a ways to go until they were actually within the village.

The rest of the journey was quiet, well except for Kiba occasionally talking to Akamaru about things that didn't seem to make sense at all to any of them or Shino mumbling to himself now and then. Kurenai informed Sakura that Shino was actually conversing with the insects to make sure that there weren't any enemies ahead of them that can attack them.

It was late afternoon when they finally arrived at the entrance; actually there really was no entrance. A man sat on a tree stump, apparently waiting for them. He smiled kindly, getting up when they stopped before him. "Hello, my name is Hotaru. I assume you four are from Konoha."

"Hai and you must be this village's leader." Kurenai said with a nod.

Hotaru shook his head. "I'm afraid that this village has no leader. It has been filled with peace for so long that a leader seems unneeded."

"That's stupid if you ask me." Kiba mumbled and yelped when Sakura elbowed him on the ribs.

Hotaru said nothing if he found Kiba's words offending. "Come, Toru-san needs your help. Mari-chan has been working diligently to substitute for her father as well as healing the injuries of her father but Toru-san's condition seems to be worsening everyday. Mari-chan does not know how to control her chakra well and does not know what to do."

"Kiba, Shino, scout around to see if anyone has gotten a good look at the nuke-nin. It might seem unlikely but he can still be lurking around. Hinata, you stay with Sakura while I'll go off on my own. If any of you need each other, contact one another by radio." Kurenai ordered, handing each of them the device.

A clouds of dirt appeared as they dispersed, leaving the two kunoichi's with Hotaru. "This way please."

* * *

"Those fucking Akatsuki bastards, I'll kill them." A gruff voice hissed, trying to patch the bleeding chest of his companion. "C'mon, baka, hang on. We'll get that piece of shit to heal you or else we'll kill everyone in his village."

A third figure looked uncertainty at the one who spoke. "I don't know. I heard that the village requested help for Konoha and that they were on their way. Those guys are probably here by now. Also, those Akatsuki guys are still after us because-."

"Shut up Kazu and watch over Yamiko. I'm going to try and get that bastard medic-nin to heal Yamiko so wait here." The still unknown figure hissed, disappearing in a blur. The one called Yamiko growled in frustration as he remembered how easily his other companions had been dispatched.

That damn immortal duo.

* * *

AijinMegami: I hope it is to your liking. I'll try and make the next chapter better and hopefully I'll update faster... hm... i made Shino act OOC... - . –U

REVIEW PLEASE!


	4. Chapter 4

AijinMegami: NEW CHAPTER! Thank you everyone, for your patience. I'm almost done with my AP hw so I can start updating a bunch again.

I don't own Naruto and enjoy the chapter!

This story is about Sakura's growth before the time skip and the incidents that occurred that no one knows about. If it's a little slow, I'm sorry, but I hope you enjoy this ficcy that I made! n . n

* * *

Sakura followed Hotaru quietly. She sensed the nervous tension surrounding Hinata, but said nothing. Whatever she said would only contribute into making Hinata even more nervous than before... but still...

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" she asked softly. Sakura tilted her head so that they made eye-contact, but didn't turn her head fully so that the majority of her gaze was on their surroundings as Hotaru.

To be a true shinobi, you must aware of your surroundings.

To be a true shinobi, you must not let emotions hinder your missions.

Serious, she told herself, she was going to be serious about being a true shinobi from now on. She wasn't going to fail like her previous mission.

Hinata nodded, but the apprehensive atmosphere surrounding her did not disperse. Like Sakura had suspected, it only seemed to grow more with her question.

A mental battle was occurring within Hinata's mind. She wanted to ask Sakura about Naruto, but she knew that would be a forbidden subject right now. After Naruto left and Kakashi left her alone, there always seemed to be a solemn air around Sakura.

Instead, she swallowed her desire and gave Sakura a tentative but genuine smile. "Wh-What do you think about Toru-san's condition, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked.

"I won't know until I take a look at him... but I'm curious about something." Sakura said, her eyes narrowing at the frame of the man before them. "If what Hotaru-san said is true and that this village is indeed peaceful and lack protection, wouldn't the nuke-nin be able to taken over the village since Toru-san, the only shinobi in this village, was taken care of?"

"An excellent question, kunoichi-san." The man said, continuing his steady pace. There was a malice undertone within his words. "You're quite observant. We knew you Konoha-nins wouldn't be overly cautious since it's only a C-classed mission and is also in a region that is said to be very peaceful."

"Hinata-chan." Sakura whispered. The Hyuuga girl nodded, getting ready to fight. Sakura reached down for a kunai while Hinata crouched down, ready to lunge at the man if needed.

"Hehe," Hotaru turned around and leered at them. His brown eyes flashing at them in amusement, with a flick of his wrists the long wide sleeves covering his arms flew back and revealed the contraption on his arm.

By the looks of it, there was circular opening that was aimed at the two kunoichis. On the side of the device was a long hoister that carried multiple kunais and on the other side of the machine was a handle. Sakura recognized it immediately. It was similar to the contraptions that the shinobis used during the mission to protect the snow princess. If she was right, the moment he spun the handle, the strapped kunais were going to shoot out of the opening of the machine in a powerful speed.

"Shit," Sakura whispered just as he fired.

* * *

Kurenai whirled around at the sound of an explosion. It was coming from the village. She was a few meters away from the village, wanting to scout the vicinity. Immediately, she got ready to run towards the village when a sharp blur caught her attention.

She jumped backwards, dodging the barrage of kunai only to sense a presence appear behind her. A sharp kick was made onto her back, sending her hurtling to the ground. Kurenai landed on her feet and rolled to the side.

Her attacker landed on her previous spot and Kurenai looked at him to get a better look at him. Her eyes caught sight of his hitai-ate, but she couldn't be sure if he was a nuke-nin. To confuse hunter-nin, most nuke-nin didn't mark their hitai-ates.

"Konoha-shit," he cursed. They had gotten here earlier than expected. His sharp cerulean eyes couldn't help but glance over Kurenai's shoulder where Yamiko was struggling to prevent any more blood loss by holding onto his wound. At least he was hidden within the trees. Kazu unsheathed his sword and ran at the woman.

Kurenai's hands were quickly moving, forming hand seals. Kazu noticed and instead of aiming his sword at her, he made a sharp clean cut on his arm. Focusing on the pain, he managed to break the genjutsu and dodge the kunai that had almost made contact with his throat.

"I assume you are the one who attacked Toru-san?" she questioned. Toru began to go through a set of hand seals as she spoke, using the time to catch her in a genjutsu of his own. Kurenai narrowed her eyes, as he began to disappear.

The leaves that had fallen from the trees suddenly stiffened and aimed themselves at her. She gasped when the gentle looking leaves created deep gashes on her arm. More leaves began to surround her and were about to attack when Kurenai whispered, "Kai!"

The genjutsu was broken and she found her body unharmed and in the same condition as before she was caught. Kurenai looked around confused, why didn't the shinobi kill her when he had the chance?

* * *

"Ugh…" Sakura groaned, feeling as if her head was going to pop. She didn't, however, use her medical abilities to dull the pain. It wasn't too severe and she wanted to save as much chakra as possible.

What happened?

"Ah, Hinata-chan!" she sat up quickly, looking for her friend. Hinata was no where in sight. It was then that Sakura realized that she was no longer in the village, but in some sort of cave.

She sighed, memories of what had occurred replaying with her mind. The man had caught them off guard and had taken full advantage of that. The kunais he shot had only been a distraction.

Sakura scowled. For a man who carried that heavy machinery, he was extremely fast. He had swung that thing wildly and Sakura remembered it making impact on her head, the same thing probably happened to Hinata.

"Ah," a voice sneered. "It seems like our little prisoner is awake."

Oh yes, Sakura hadn't forgotten the ropes tying her wrists. She couldn't escape it because they were watching and they also had her weapons. She was defenseless.

"Hotaru, we need to hurry and make that bastard heal Yamiko already! He's losing too much blood!" a man with cerulean eyes snapped. Sakura looked over Hotaru's shoulders and saw a bruised and battered man that was probably Toru. Hard to believe that the frail looking man was a Jounin… then again there was that guy, Hayate during the Chuunin exams.

The Toru guy looked dead in Sakura's eyes.

Hotaru grunted. "Can't, Kazu. This guy doesn't have anymore chakra."

"Teme, what are we going to do? Yamiko is probably going to die now!" Kazu snarled. "If my brother dies because of your selfish desire to get that shitty little scroll, I'm going to fucking kill you."

Sakura watched the scene carefully. The one called Yamiko was paling quickly. He was probably going to die during the time the two idiots were arguing with each other. From the distance, she couldn't really see it all that well, but judging by the blood flowing out of his wound one of his arteries was probably severed.

It was amazing Yamiko wasn't already dead. Probably the strong need to live all shinobis seemed to possess, Sakura thought wryly. Sakura knew she was going to regret this, but... "I can heal him."

The arguing immediately ceased within the cave and all eyes were on her. "What?" Kazu demanded.

"I said I can heal him." She snapped back, a bit frustrated by his tone. "I'm a medic-nin."

"Why would you want to heal a nuke-nin, girly?" Hotaru grasped her chin and lifted her face up so that they were looking eye to eye. Sakura immediately disliked the notion of an old man like Hotaru –you would be too if you were in her position- touching her person. Since her hands were bound and she was still sitting on the floor, Sakura did the only thing she could do at the moment.

She bit him.

He cried out in surprise and pain, releasing her. Sakura spat on the floor angrily. "You old perverted man, don't you dare touch me again!" she turned her gaze at Kazu. "Look, if you don't let me go, that brother of yours is going to die."

"Why are you doing this?" Kazu demanded, his voice laced with suspicion. Sakura couldn't help but feel as if she had a similar conversation to this before not so long ago.

"Because I'm a medic-nin." She answered, her voice filled with determination. "I swore to myself that I'll heal anyone that needs help… but if you try to hurt anyone I care about, I won't hesitate to kill you myself even if I did heal you!"

* * *

If there was one thing Hidan didn't like, it was when he displeased his lord, the almighty Jashin. The Jashin was probably pissed off at him because his little sacrifice had managed to escape. Damn, he should have just killed that guy immediately in the ceremony instead of playing with him.

Note to self, Hidan thought, when fighting, kill immediately or else the Jashin will send bad luck over his way due to the lack of sacrifices.

"What are you grumbling about, you little twit?" Kakuzu questioned. He never really liked Hidan and it was vice versa, thankfully. Kakuzu didn't know what he'd do if he was stuck with a partner who actually liked him.

"None of your business, shit face." Hidan snarled. Kakuzu would have rolled his eyes at Hidan's actions, but didn't. He wasn't so childish that such a comment would faze him.

"If you weren't so obsessed with that god of yours, those weaklings wouldn't have escaped." Kakuzu answered calmly. Mentally, he was wondering how to kill Hidan and explain to the Leader that it had all been a mere accident.

Wait, even if Kakuzu minced Hidan into little pieces, the bastard would probably crawl towards headquarters even if it was only his head in tact.

"You want to fight?" Hidan snarled again.

"I don't have time to waste with you." He answered.

"Shut up!" Hidan yelled angrily. His hand was itching to just throw his scythe at this stupid non-believer man. Perhaps if he sent a man like Kakuzu to his lord, Jashin, then he would be able to win back his lords favor. It was so tempting, but not only will Kakuzu severe Hidan's head and keep him beheaded, leader will probably bestow upon Hidan a punishment of his own.

"We're getting closer to our targets." Kakuzu mused.

"Alright," Hidan said perking up. It was better to think about the mission than about trying to somehow kill Kakuzu without getting in trouble... although, that thought was entertaining. "Now we can kill those rats and take the scroll."

* * *

Kazu watched Sakura examine the wound on his brother with sharp eyes. It wouldn't do to trust the girl, only for her to kill his brother when their guard was down. Hotaru was out scouting the lands. He had done so grudgingly since Sakura didn't seem to be able to concentrate around the old man.

Chakra began to gather on the palm of her hands, slowly entering the body of Yamiko. "Girl," Kazu said softly as to not break her focus. "Why are you doing this?"

"I thought I told you the reason already." She grunted. Her chakra was speeding up the recuperation of the artery, but with the amount of blood Yamiko lost. She looked up at Kazu. "Hand me my bag, will you? I know you or that old pervert has it."

"Why?"

"Because your brother lost a lot of blood, there's a bottle of pills in there that'll replenish the blood he lost." Sakura motioned him to hand the bottle.

"You do know that just because you healed someone doesn't mean they won't come and kill you and your loved ones." Kazu said, watching her feed the pill to her barely conscious brother. "How can you take such a risk?"

Sakura didn't answer.

"I'll probably be done with this guy in a few minutes. His wounds won't be completely healed and he'll probably need lots of rest and care... but he's not going to die anymore." She said instead. Kazu accepted her words and leaned back against the cave wall. "Kazu-san... is it alright if I heal Toru-san?"

"Leave him," he said. "That guy's probably dead by now."

"You do know I'm going to try and heal him with or without your permission." Sakura said, crawling over to the fallen Jounin. Her breathing was becoming irregular from the extensive usage of her chakra, but she knew she had enough to heal at least one more person. Kazu didn't stop her

He tilted his head. "You're already low on chakra; would you risk it all to save him? What if I try to kill you when you're at a vulnerable state?"

"You're a nuke-nin, not a heartless animal." She retorted.

"Same shit."

"Besides... someone who cares for his brother probably has more feelings than an average nuke-nin." Sakura placed a hand on Toru's still body. The man must have fallen unconscious a while ago. "I know you won't kill me."

"Hmph."

Sakura jumped when she heard loud footsteps coming towards them along with the scent of blood. Kazu stiffened, his grip on his katana tightening. He stood up and began to trudge towards the entrance. Kazu's pace quickened when he realized whose chakra it was.

"What's wrong Hotaru?"

"We've got trouble." Hotaru's arm was cut and blood was dripping down from it in a glimmering river of red. "They found us. The A-."

Sakura clenched her eyes shut just in time as something seemed to have pierced Hotaru by the heart. Blood spurted out and sprayed Kazu who stared with wide eyes. His grip on his katana slacked in surprise.

"Watch out!" Sakura wanted to cry out, but her voice was caught in her throat. Fear struck through her as black threads shot out and pierced right through Kazu as if he was butter.

"Wh-Who are you?" a weak voice murmured from below. Sakura looked down to see Toru regaining consciousness.

"I'm from Konoha. We need to get out of here." She whispered urgently.

Toru's mind seemed to become enveloped in ninja-mode, as he weakly nodded and began to stand up. Sakura winced at seeing his wounds reopen and a fresh rivet of blood starting to flow down. She didn't have enough chakra to close and heal his wounds, but she was able to numb the pain a little bit.

Sakura turned her gaze at Kazu's brother, Yamiko. She couldn't just leave him after all that hard work! Besides, what kind of person would she be if she just left him here? Toru leaned against the wall for support while Sakura crawled over to Yamiko.

She squeaked in surprise when Yamiko grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her towards him. He coughed, but spoke in a low clear tone. "Kunoichi," he said. "My brother... he slipped a scroll into your pack. Leave us... take it."

"Wh-What?"

"You tried to save me, e-even though I was an enemy." Yamiko murmured. "I know I can... trust you."

Sakura looked as if she was ready to protest, but Yamiko continued to speak. "This scroll... the Se-Setu…"

"Yamiko-san."

"Go," he grunted struggling to stand up. Sakura gently helped him. This guy was probably being delusional from the loss of blood and from pain. She had to get him out of here. With surprising strength, he pushed her towards Toru who watched the scene with unfocused eyes. "Leave, now!"

"Let's go kunoichi-san." Toru said grabbing Sakura's hand.

"I-."

For a guy who was still bleeding in various places, he sure was strong. Her emerald eyes turned to look at Yamiko whose eyes were focusing where his brother lied dead.

Gently he whispered. "I'm sorry kunoichi-san… for handing you the scroll. Some say it's a blessing… others only state that it's a curse… please be careful."

* * *

The village wasn't too far off, but it wasn't that close. Sakura wanted to turn her gaze to the scene behind her, but stopped herself each time. Her main priority was to take Toru back to the village. They needed to be somewhere safe and Hinata and the others were probably there.

"Shit," Sakura whispered. She had forgotten all about Hinata because of the whole fiasco.

"What's wrong?" Toru asked. His senses were still a little unfocused so he couldn't tell if there was an enemy around. Either Kazu or Hotaru must have hit him in the head. Toru's balance was way off. If it wasn't for Sakura hold him up, Toru would have probably crashed into something or fallen off a ditch by now.

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing... we're almost to the village."

"I found her!" a voice cried out. Sakura's head shot upward.

"Kiba!" she yelled, forgetting the fact that the people who killed Kazu might be nearby. "We're over here!"

There was a bunch of rustling noises from the tree and two figures came out. Hinata and Kiba looked at her, a bit roughed up, but fine. Hinata ran up towards Sakura, concern etched on her face. "Sakura-chan, you're alright!" so relieved, she didn't even stutter.

"I'm fine, Kiba, get you ass here and help me here. Toru-san isn't a light-weight you know!" Sakura yelled, feeling so relieved that she was now with her friends. Kiba grumbled, but grabbed Toru's other arm.

"Kurenai-sensei," Hinata said through her radio. "We found both Sakura-chan and Toru-san. We're heading towards the village now."

"Wait," Sakura said, pulling away from Hinata. She grabbed her bag and threw it at her. "Keep it for me, will you Hinata-chan? I need to go back."

"What?!" the two yelled.

"I said, I need to go back."

"Go back where?" Kiba demanded.

"I..." she didn't want to tell them that she had healed a nuke-nin. Just thinking about what might happen was giving her a headache. "I just have to go back and do something. Trust me."

Sakura felt Toru's eyes studying her and she didn't have the heart to look up and meet his gaze. Instead, she focused on the ground. It was better than meeting any of their eyes, anyways.

Fortunately, Toru didn't say anything.

"A-Alright," Hinata spoke hesitantly. "But why are you leaving me with your bag? Aren't your weapons in there?"

"Hopefully I won't need any weapons." Sakura whispered cryptically. She turned and began to run. Hinata and Kiba watched her back, unsure of what to do. Toru stared at her back as well before looking aside.

"C'mon," he said gruffly. "Let's go."

* * *

Sakura ran as fast as her legs could take her, pumping chakra into her legs to pick up speed. If she was fast enough, she might be able to get there in time to get Yamiko out of there... unless he was already killed.

She shook her head. She should be optimistic.

"Trust him," she whispered. "Trust him!"

Still, the nagging feeling didn't leave her. A cold chill went through her spine when she heard a loud cry of pain. Instinctively, she lunged towards a tree and pressed her back against it. The yell had been way too close for comfort, not to mention the fact that it sounded eerily like Yamiko.

Silently, she peered from the side. Sakura had practiced stealth and knew she improved a little bit. Hopefully, the enemy wouldn't notice her.

Her blood turned cold at the sight.

There were two men wearing long black cloaks. Red clouds outlined with white decorated their cloak. One wore several cloths to cover his face and was sitting on Kazu's corpse, watching the actions of his silver haired companions. The silver haired man's skin was completely black, outlined with white.

It wasn't their appearance that frightened Sakura, but what the silver haired man was doing.

He had stabbed himself with a long sharp pole and seemed to be filled with ecstasy at the self-inflicted pain. Yamiko was crying out in pain, but what confused Sakura was that he was holding the same place the dark-skinned man had pierced himself with. Blood was pouring out from both parties.

"You little shit," the black haired man spat. "Hurry and fucking tell us where the scroll is already."

"Go... t-to hell." Yamiko managed to gasp out through the pain. Hatred and anger laced his words. His eyes turned to his fallen brother before going back upward towards the two.

Kakuzu was growing impatient. Normally he would tell Hidan to kill the man already, but they needed to know where the scroll was. Leader wasn't going to be happy if they lose the scroll. This wasn't a rumored scroll. Akatsuki knew what the contents within the scroll were and they wanted it.

Hidan craved into his chest and grinned despite the blood pouring out from his mouth. Yamiko's cries of pain filled the whole entire forest. Sakura felt her legs shake and unwillingly, she slid to the floor.

Fear...

Was this the fear Naruto and Sasuke felt whenever they fought someone powerful? She didn't know, because she had never been in their position before.

More screams tainted the air.

Wait.

Why was she training everyday? To be placed in the same shoes as Naruto and Sasuke. She wanted to grow stronger, strong enough to gain the respect of not only those two but also Kakashi, Tsunade, and so many more people!

How was she going to do all that if she was cowering behind a tree in every single battle?

Despite her trembling, Sakura placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself up. She was scared, she was so damn scared, but she still had to get up.

"I'm not going to run away," she mumbled softly to herself. "Not now, not ever... I'm never going to run away anymore."

Sakura had left her bag with Hinata and so she knew even if she did die here the scroll would be safe. No, she wasn't going to die. She still had to wait for Naruto and rescues Sasuke.

She had promised him...

And it was a promise of a lifetime.

But what could she do against these cloaked men? Sakura had secretly listened into whatever conversations she could get from Tsunade's office and she had often heard them talking about cloaked people. Their name was never said out loud, but Sakura knew they involved Naruto and a lot of important businesses concerning S-classed missions.

Sakura gulped.

What chance did she have against that?

She narrowed her eyes. She would have to find a way... somehow.

* * *

"Looks like we have some company." Kakuzu murmured silently so that only the three of them could hear. They had sensed weak chakra a little while ago heading their way. Since it was so insignificant, they didn't really bother with it. But now, the chakra was really close by and was hiding behind the trees silently.

Hidan smiled maliciously. "More sacrifices for the Jashin, I say."

Yamiko was practically bathing in his own blood on the ground. He could barely hear the words being exchanged between the two. The only things that managed to enter his sense were 'company' and 'sacrifices'.

Terror filled him for a split second as he wondered if the kunoichi from before had returned.

Unfortunately for him, both Kakuzu and Hidan noticed the little action. They turned their attention back towards him. "It appears that the rat knows who this weak chakra signature belongs to."

"Another thing he should spill to us before his life is taken by the Jashin." Hidan sneered. This guy better spill because Hidan could tell that he was going to die soon. It wouldn't do if the guy died before Hidan could complete the ritual.

"Not so fast!" a feminine voice yelled.

Kunai shot out from multiple places. Lazily with a flick of his own wrist, Kakuzu was able to send a couple of his own to deflect them. Their eyes narrowed when a nearby sequoia tree began to fall. The kunais had only been a diversion. Kakuzu and Hidan jumped away and the tree landed between them and their prey.

Sakura immediately appeared besides Yamiko. She was completely out of chakra now after healing two people, using her chakra to hold Toru up, running back with the help of chakra, and using chakra to help cut the tree deep enough so that she could tackle it and make it fall. With heavy breathing she turned to Yamiko.

"A-Are you alright?" she asked.

"Fo-Fool..." he said weakly. "Le-Leave me..."

"I can't!" Sakura snapped. Her back straightened and her head snapped upward when she felt a presence behind her. The back of her hair stood and she felt a sharp blade protruding threateningly against her back.

"Wench," she heard a voice hiss. "This is good. The Jashin especially loves it whenever I present him with the flesh of a female."

His voice was filled with power and Sakura felt her body tremble at the feel of his bloodlust. There was such a strong difference between them, their experiences, their strengths, their beliefs... she could feel everything with him just standing behind her with his body alert for body.

As if reality was finally piercing through, Sakura felt her mind scream, _'I'm going to die!'_ her body seemed to forget how to breathe and the best she could do was gasp, silently hyperventilating. Yamiko gave one final shuddered as his consciousness ebbed away.

Black spots appeared in Sakura's vision. She did, though, managed to comprehend that the person behind her had pulled back his weapon. Was he pulling back to stab her with it?

She never found out as she lost consciousness.

* * *

"Sakura-chan," a muffled voice called out. "Sakura-chan, please, please wake up!"

"Calm down Hinata, she's alright." A more mature toned female voice said reassuringly. "She doesn't seem injured."

"Feh, what was she thinking, coming here by herself like that?" this time it was a husky masculine voice.

"You're not helping, Kiba." This time it was a deep toned voice.

Slowly, Sakura's eyes fluttered up. She felt so dirty and found out why when she managed to sit up and examine herself. Her whole entire body was covered in blood that wasn't her own. Her emerald eyes dimmed. They must belong to Yamiko.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata said almost in tears. "I was so worried... worried that you were... I..."

"I'm fine, Hinata-chan." Sakura whispered dully. She was still so weak. Damn it, she still wasn't strong enough. "Really, I'm fine."

"What were you thinking, going off by yourself like that?" Kurenai demanded.

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered. She had to lie. She couldn't tell Kurenai why she had really gone back. "I just wanted to confirm the nuke-nin's location so that I can report it to you.

"Sigh..." Kurenai exhaled, looking way more tired than before. "Normally I'll punishment is the consequence for such reckless actions, but I am not your sensei." Sakura stiffened. "You'll never be left off with a warning again with me or anyone else, so get your act together Haruno."

"Yes," Sakura whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Sa-Sakura-chan," Hinata said shyly. "I have you pa-pack right here."

"Thank you Hinata-chan." Sakura said, re-strapping the bag around her waist. "Oh yeah, what happened to Toru-san?"

Kiba looked uncomfortable with that question and Hinata looked at the floor. Kurenai's expression turned grim. "About that..."

* * *

Sakura leaned against her bedroom wall. She and the others had returned to Konoha a few hours ago. She was still in shock at the information Kurenai had give her at that time.

How was this possible?

How could no one have known the truth?

Mari-chan couldn't have been lying, why would she?

She bit her lip in frustration.  
-

"_I already you told you the truth! Do all Konoha-nins get off from other people's pain?" Mari demanded angrily. Her eyes were filled with bitterness and tears. "My father died a few months ago! We never found the body, but we all know he died because he always came back home no matter how injured he was. Why are you people making me repeat myself each time? Get out, GET OUT!  
_-

Sakura looked outside her window and into the dark sky. "Just what is going on here?" she whispered.

* * *

AijinMegami: Oooh, what's going on? I kno Itachi didn't come out in this chapter, but I promise he'll be back in the next one and it's going to be even more crazy! Hehe, just wait and see what I have in store for you people!

REVIEW PLEASE!


	5. Chapter 5

AijinMegami: Hm... what to say about this chapter? Well, I guess it does reveal some things and is needed... but it may be considered boring to some.

Sorry ya'll, I'm busy with hw and everything. Im kinda afraid of what next year might be since this year is hectic enough. ; - ;

**Confucius: When embarking on a journey of revenge, make sure to dig two graves.**

**Confucius: Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.**

I don't own Naruto!

Dedicated: To blackbelt-chan who always cheers me up and is so patient with me. I'm sorry I'm not sending you chapters right now!

* * *

"Where were you Itachi-san?" Kisame asked, leaning against the cold walls of the cave. His dangerously jagged teeth seemed to gleam lethally against the burning flames of the fire before him. "You were gone all day yesterday."

One would think that Kisame was concerned for Itachi, but to think that way would be a big mistake. Akatsuki did not care for one another. They used one another for their own uses and they had their own agendas to follow. The only time they would comply with one another is when their goals are the same.

That was how the Akatsuki functioned, that is how it survives.

There was only one reason Kisame would ask where Itachi had been. Without Itachi around, he would require a new partner and Kisame didn't want to go through the shit of getting accustomed to someone new. Getting all cautious and weary of the newbie would probably end up with Kisame driving a kunai up that guy's ass.

Itachi said nothing, but sat down before Kisame. Even though Kisame wasn't the best at analyzing chakra, his senses were good enough for him to realize that Itachi had recently used his chakra for some purpose. What the reason was, Kisame didn't know and he didn't care.

Itachi ignored Kisame. He didn't have time for such trivialities. Since Kisame wasn't the smartest fish –no pun intended– within the Akatsuki, it was up to Itachi to make up the plans. He would have to devise a strategy that would allow them to travel within Konoha without Anbu on their tail.

The other Akatsuki members had a slight advantage over Itachi and Kisame in that department. Konoha shinobis didn't know how the rest of Akatsuki looked like. Because of the fiasco after the Chuunin Exam, the Konoha elite shinobi were on a strict look out for Kisame and Itachi.

If they were to walk through the gates of Konoha, they would be instantly recognized. Not to mention, their cloaks were now recognized everyone throughout the shinobi world. If anyone was wearing black cloaks with red clouds etched onto them, the immediate assumption would be that they were an Akatsuki shinobi.

However...

Itachi's sharingan eyes stared at the burning flames. They could probably bypass that strict regulation if one of Konoha's own trusted shinobi was to say that they were a friend. If they could find someone who would vouch for them, saying that they weren't Akatsuki, it would be a cinch to be able to travel throughout Konoha without being accused.

There was a chance that they would be followed as a precaution, but it was better than being unable to enter a foot into Konoha territory. But was there someone who would actually do this?

Vibrant pink hair and big emerald eyes flashed through his mind.

Unconsciously, Itachi's lips curled into a smirk.

Yes, there was one who would work perfectly.

* * *

"Sakura-chan... are you awake?" there was a soft knock from the door. Sakura's eyes flickered towards it. She knew who was behind it by the sound of the voice. Hinata was probably here to check on her.

"She is awake, Hinata-sama." Sakura sat up quickly at the sound of _that_ particular voice.

What the hell was Neji doing here? With a loud squeak, she fell from the side of her bed, caused by her haste of getting off of the bed. Groaning, Sakura rubbed her sore bottom with a scowl.

Graceful kunoichi her pain filled ass!

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata cried out in concern. The door was slammed open, probably by Neji, breaking the lock. Sakura grumbled darkly underneath her breath. He was going to pay for that, she would make sure of it.

Sakura raised her hand from the floor, revealing her position. "I'm over here Hinata-chan." She said wearily.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, rushing towards Sakura. In her haste, she forgot all about her shyness. Instead, she peered down at Sakura with her silver lilac eyes, showering Sakura with near-tear concerns.

Getting up from the ground, Sakura smiled. "I'm just fine!"

"Why were you on the floor?"

"Uh..." Sakura's face flushed. How could she tell Hinata that she was so surprised that Neji was here that she fell of the bed because she was trying to get up quickly? Neji grinned and Sakura glowered. That genius-bastard probably knew why she was on the floor! "...I tripped..."

Was... Was Neji sniggering in the background?!

No, no, he was only twitching.

"Shut up Neji-san!" she hissed. "It's not funny!"

"I do not know what you are talking about." Neji said coolly. Hinata was oblivious to the fact that Neji was laughing like a maniac mentally, but Sakura see through his act clearly. She had been around a certain stick-up-his-ass-ice-bitch for so long that she could now clearly read most so-called-badass-genius from their usual nonchalant façade.

"Whatever," she grumbled, running her hand through her messy hair. Damn, she remembered that she had been sleeping before these two had come. She pointed at the door, staring straight into Neji's silver eyes. "Get out."

"Excuse me?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"I need to get dress and I have no intention of giving anyone a free show." Sakura said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't mind Hinata-chan cause she's a girl, but you're a guy so be a good little boy and stay in the living room."

"Yes, yes," he said impatiently, brushing off her words. "It's not like there's anything to see anyways."

"WHAT?" Sakura screamed. "YOU BA-!"

The door was slammed shut before she could finish her sentence.

"...annoying little booger." Sakura began to throttle an invisible neck, feeling a vein twitching on her head. "Wait till we train together. Don't think I've been playing around this whole time while you were on your mission! I'll kick your ass to the Lightening Country!"

Behind, Hinata couldn't help but giggle and Sakura's antics. Neji seemed to notice that Sakura was easy to rile up and took advantage of that whenever he could. Though not much noticed it, Sakura seemed to forget about her sadness concerning her team whenever he pissed her off. Hinata's eyes softened as sadness seeped into them. It was also probably because he understood what it was like to be left behind with no sudden warning.

Though Naruto and her father had healed him slightly, the wounds concerning the death of his father were still tender.

"What's wrong Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked.

"Uh! I-It's nothing!" she stammered out.

Sakura frowned, but didn't press her. Instead, she opened her closet and began to rummage through her clothes. "Thanks for checking up on me Hinata-chan."

Truth be told, Sakura was really touched. Now that she was teamless, there wasn't really anyone who had her back. She was on her own, occasionally joining hands with others, but departing early before bonds could be formed. There was Tsunade, but it wasn't the same. She was the Hokage. She couldn't be around Sakura most of the time. There was a bond, it just wasn't flaring as brightly as the bond she had with Naruto and Sasuke...

Sakura hid her face from Hinata. She didn't want Hinata to worry by seeing her worry.

Did she really have a bond with them? Sometimes, it felt as if Naruto and Sasuke were in their little world, a world she wasn't a part of. Every time she tried to near, the world seemed to slip away from her grasp.

"_Sakura-chan," Naruto looked at her grimly, his angered blue eyes were unwilling to look up at her. She couldn't tell if he was angry at her or the fact that Kakashi interrupted his fight with Sasuke. Not knowing what to say, the only thing she could do was wait. "Don't ever interfere again."_

Those words echoed every night before she went to sleep.

"_Don't ever interfere again."_

It was a three cell team!

"_Don't ever interfere again."_

They were a team!

"_Don't ever interfere again."_

Wasn't she a part of that team?

"_Don't ever interfere again."_

Her grip on the closet door tightened. Behind, Hinata looked at Sakura carefully. Though she couldn't see Sakura's face, there seemed to be some powerful emotions flowing through from her. Hinata could actually feel the dark emotions flowing out from Sakura, despite the distance that they had between each other.

"Sa-Sakura-chan?" she asked hesitantly.

Sakura turned around and smiled sweetly at Hinata. Her emerald eyes were spewing with unlimited happiness. She had chosen her clothes, a red vest with her trademark family insignia and loose comfortable slacks that came to her knees, and she was now ready to go.

"Thanks for checking up on my Hinata-chan!" grabbing her pack, Sakura opened the door. "C'mon, Neji-san owes me a day of training. I'm going to show that jerk that I'm no weakling!"

Hinata was silent. Since Sakura wasn't facing Hinata, she couldn't see the sadness in Hinata's lilac eyes. Hinata raised her hand as if she was going to reach out for Sakura. She hesitated before lowering her hand, opting to look away instead.

"I'm going to go downstairs first, 'kay?" Sakura said with a giggle, her back still facing Hinata. "You never know what Neji-san is doing."

The door was gently closed behind Sakura, but Hinata's attention wasn't on the door. Instead, she was staring at the shelf where Sakura normally kept her picture of Team Seven. Though she hadn't been here often, Hinata knew where it was since the sight of Naruto glaring at Sasuke made her smile...

The picture wasn't there.

"Sakura-chan," she murmured. "Why do you always hide what you're truly feeling?"

Meanwhile, Sakura hummed, walking down the stairs. Opening the door to her living room, she scowled when she saw Neji looking at the pictures were framed around the room. Yelling obscene words, Sakura threatened to shove a kunai up somewhere unpleasant. The only answer Neji gave was a smirk.

"People say you're so emotional..." Hinata said, feeling tears slipping from her eyes. "But... is someone who is always wearing a mask considered emotional?"

Sakura rarely cried in front of anyone these days.

How many times did she cry by herself in this room?

Hinata didn't bother to wipe away the tears.

Sakura no longer wished to be weak.

She no long wished to cry

So Hinata would cry for her instead...

"Someone please help Sakura-chan before she loses herself." Hinata whispered to herself, clasping her hands together.

Sakura was trudging down a path where she would do anything to prove herself, to show that she was strong. No longer would she be the smiling girl who cared for others with all her heart. With each day passing, she would slowly turn herself into a killing machine... a true tool of Konoha.

"Please..." the flow of tears grew. "Someone... help her..."

* * *

Itachi stared at Konoha passively. His black cloudless cloak bellowed in an intimidating manner with the aid of the wind. His conical hat was gone, having left it with Kisame back at the cave.

The village appeared innocently before his gaze. The foolishness of the village disgusted him. Despite having endured a full blown attack from both Oto and Suna, the village was still lax in their security system. Didn't these people learn from the past mistakes? It was joke that they were hailed as the most powerful village in the Shinobi World.

So weak...

So frail...

Like that foolish girl who had aided him.

"Kisame," he murmured.

As if planned, Kisame appeared from behind the trees. There was a feral grin on his face as he sauntered towards Itachi. As always, his Samehada was wrapped and attached to the strap behind his back. Unlike Itachi, though, he wore a black cloak with red clouds etched onto them.

"You seriously think you'll be fine there by yourself?" Kisame knew that despite all of the Uchiha's power, instinct, and intellect, it would all be deemed useless if he were to go against all of Konoha by himself... then again, he did kill almost all of the Uchiha Clan without any strain.

"Hn," it was the typical Uchiha answer.

"Leader-sama won't like it if you got yourself killed during this mission." Kisame said nonchalantly. "After all, you're the golden boy of Akatsuki."

"Nothing will go wrong." Itachi said without even tearing his eyes away from the village below him.

"Everything always goes wrong."

He gave no reply to that.

"How long will you be gone?" Kisame asked.

"...I will send you a message near the end of this mission."

The time limit was indefinite.

Itachi could still smell her scent, enveloping him in a comforting lull of security. He brushed it away, though. His only objective was his mission.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Without another word, he jumped off the cliff and descended upon the road that would lead towards the gate of Konoha.

* * *

AijinMegami: Dun, Dun, Dun! What will happen next?

REVIEW PLEASE!


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